Julius Caesar: Act III Reading and Study Guide
I. VOCABULARY: Be able to define the following words and understand them when they appear in
the play.
Grant, give, bestow
vouchsafe (vouch-sāf )__________________________________________________________
foe__________________________________________________________________________
Enemy
II. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define each term and apply each term to the play.
Point of highest tension; action determines how the conflict will be resolved.
climax______________________________________________________________________
Julius Caesar is stabbed 23 times and killed.
What is the climax of this play?_____________________________________________
A reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another
work of literature.
allusion: ____________________________________________________________________
Example: ______________________________________________________________
(III, i, 75)”Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?” Home of the Greek gods.
verbal irony___________________________________________________________________
Antony refers to the conspirators as “honorable,” but in a
Example:_______________________________________________________________
sarcastic way, so his tone of voice indicates he means the opposite.
III. Questions: answer the following questions.
Scene 1:
1. What reason does Caesar give for not reading Artemidorus’s letter?
He says that what concerns himself should be dealt with last. The people of Rome come first.
2. What Roles do the following characters play in the conspiracy?
Trebonius: He lures Marc Antony away from Caesar.
Metellus Cimber: He speaks to Caesar about lifting the exile on M.C.’s brother in order to
distract him.
Casca: He is the first to stab Caesar.
3. What is Caesar’s opinion of himself? He is fair and unmoving like the North Star. He does not
change his mind.
4. What does “Et tu, Brute?” mean? How do these words relate to the theme of friendship in the play?
It means, “And you too, Brutus?” These lines show that Caesar values his friendship with
Brutus so much that if Brutus sees it fit for Caesar to die, he will.
5. Where does Caesar’s dead body lie? How is this ironic? It lies at the foot of Pompey’s statue.
This is ironic because he defeated/killed Pompey.
6. What does Brutus tell the conspirators to do after killing Caesar? He wants them to bathe their
hands in Caesar’s blood.
7. What promise does Brutus tell the servant to relay to Antony?
Brutus says Antony won’t be hurt or killed.
8. What does Antony say about the possibility of being killed by the conspirators?
If they want to kill him, do it now.
9. After being assured he is in no danger, what favor does Antony ask of the conspirators?
He wants to speak at Caesar’s funeral and carry his body out for all to see.
10. What does Cassius think about granting Antony this favor?
He thinks Antony will make the people turn against the conspirators.
11. What restrictions does Brutus set? Brutus will speak first and tell the people why they killed
Caesar. Antony is not allowed to speak against the conspirators.
12. Summarize Antony’s main points in his speech to Caesar’s body?
He is still loyal to Caesar and will avenge Caesar’s death. “Let slip the dogs of war.”
13. Who is coming to Rome to meet with Antony? Octavius Caesar
Scene 2:
14. According to Brutus’s speech to the commoners, what reasons does he give for Caesar’s death?
Brutus loves Rome more than he loved Caesar. Caesar would have made them slaves. He was
too ambitious.
15. What is the mood of the crowd as Brutus finishes his speech?
They agree with Brutus and think he did the right thing.
16. What does Brutus offer at the end of his speech?
He offers his dagger so they can kill him if they disagree with him killing Caesar.
17. List three points of Antony’s speech that work to persuade the crowd to turn on the conspirators.
A. Caesar wasn’t ambitious. (refused the crown 3 times, cried at others’ suffering)
B. He brings up Caesar’s will, but then refuses to read it.
C. He keeps calling the conspirators “honourable,” but makes sure his tone of voice and evidence
suggest otherwise.
18. What reason does Antony give for why he cannot read Caesar’s will?
The crowd will go crazy when they hear how much Caesar loved them. They will want to kill the
conspirators, and he has promised not to speak against them.
19. What has Caesar bequeathed the Romans in his will?
He gave them money and public land.
21. How does the crowd react to Antony’s speech?
They want the conspirators to pay for what they did to Caesar.
Scene 3:
22. What happens to Cinna the Poet? Why? The angry mob kills Cinna the Poet because they
think he is Cinna the conspirator. Even when they find out he is not, they still kill him because of
their anger.
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